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Changes to the way that local children’s safeguarding governance works became law from Saturday 29 June 2019.

The changes, which are required by law following 2017 government legislation, saw the Local Safeguarding Children’s Board (LSCB) dissolved, with safeguarding children’s arrangements being managed through a new process.

The LSCB, which oversees all safeguarding cases involving local children, is being replaced with a new safeguarding board made up of representatives from North East Lincolnshire Council, Humberside Police and North East Lincolnshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).

Previously, the local authority had been solely responsible for children’s safeguarding.

Councillor Ian Lindley, portfolio holder for children, education and young people, said: “The changes to the law mean that children’s safeguarding is now not just the responsibility of the Council, but also the Clinical Commissioning Group and the Police.

“This means that we have a shared responsibility to work together, for the benefit of children, young people and families in our area.

“A small number of other areas of the UK were ‘early adopters’ of this new way of working, and we have looked at their experiences and some of the opportunities and challenges that they faced. We have developed a good partnership with Police and CCG, in addition to wider safeguarding partners in order to mobilise these new arrangements.”

Humberside Police’s south bank commander Chief Superintendent Darren Wildbore, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for us to continue working closely together to ensure that some of the most vulnerable people in our communities are given the support and care they need.

“We have a great working relationship with our colleagues in North East Lincolnshire Council and North East Lincolnshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and I’m looking forward to developing this further.

“By making it more easy for us to share information and knowledge and learn from each other, we will be able to spot issues at an early stage and make a real difference to children and young people in the area.”

“The safety of local children and young people is everyone’s responsibility,” explained Jan Haxby, Director of Quality and Nursing and Executive Lead for Safeguarding with NHS North East Lincolnshire CCG. “It’s very important local organisations work together to ensure the best outcomes for our children, and help set a foundation for a healthy, happier future. This new safeguarding arrangement will benefit those children, young people and families who are experiencing difficulties and need support or intervention.”

The changes follow the 2017 Children and Social Work Act 2017 and the ‘Working Together 2018’ government guidance.